UWYC to fund four Community Housing Navigators
Maybe superheroes is laying it on a little thick, but we have high hopes for our new Community Housing Navigators. On July 8, United Way of Yellowstone County announced that it will fund four of these new jobs at three local nonprofits: one at Family Promise of Yellowstone Valley, one at Homefront, and two at HRDC7.
So what, exactly, is a Community Housing Navigator? That might depend on the day. Sometimes, they'll help families through paperwork labyrinths. Other days, it might be helping families with supporting items like finding employment and transportation, or sifting through assistance programs. Every day, they'll be building trusted relationship with families experiencing homelessness, becoming a go-to for people working to build sustainable futures.
United Way of Yellowstone County is committing $800,000 to fund these positions through 2028 and will provide overarching coordination and support. We're also bringing more financial resources to help families turn temporary barriers into milestone of achievement.
Housing Solutions Fund
We're on track to open our Housing Solutions Fund in August, making a $1 million pot of money available for the next three years. It will primarily be available to help families working with CHN-funded agencies, but a portion of the
money will be available to any local nonprofit working toward solutions to family homelessness.
“We’re excited to collaborate with other nonprofits to address an urgent issue for our community,” UWYC President and CEO Andrew Konkel said. “We believe that this model can help families get into housing and build sustainable futures.”
Both the Housing Solutions Fund and Community Housing Navigators are funded by the 5-year, $2.5 million Day 1 Families Fund grant that UWYC received in November 2023. UWYC created an 11-member committee of community members to evaulate recommendations for spending the grant, which was a surprise arrival. Helping families overcome barriers to housing was identified as a top priority.
An urgent issue
Homelessness is a pressing issue in Yellowstone County and across Montana. Between 2007 and 2023, homelessness nearly doubled, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Much of that jump happened between 2022 and 2023, a 45% increase.
Unfortunately, UWYC wasn't able to fund every group that applied for a CHN. Six local nonprofits applied for a total of 10 CHN positions earlier this year, illustrating the need for resources in Yellowstone County.
